Seal-making machine



f (No Model.) l 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

C. G.QHILL. SEAL MAKING MACHINE;-

Patented 0 t. 21,1890.`

l Jive/afer' 0 @JMU wfn (No Model.) 5 Sheetssheet 2. 0.0. HILL.

SEAL' MAKING MACHINE. No. 438,844. Patented Oct. 21, 1890.

-.(No Model.)

` I 5 Sheets-Sheet 4. C. C. HILL" .v (No Model.)l 5 sheets-sheet 5.

- C. C. HILL. l

SEAL MAKING MACHINE.

No. 438,844'. Patented ont. 21,1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTIAN C. HILL, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs.-

SEAL-MAKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,844, dated October 21, 1890. Application led October 28, 1889. Serial No. 328,446. (No model.)

To all whom t 11i/ay concern: out through a die, which forms the bottom of Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN C. HILL, a the cylinder, the opening through which gives citizen of the United States, residing at Ohithe form desired to the tape (indicated by the cago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, letter d in the drawings) from which the seals 5 have invented certain new and useful Imare cut. This tape is simply aflat rectangu- 55 provements in Seal-Making Machines, which lar strip ofv which the transverse dimension are fully set forth in the following specicamay be any multiple of either dimension, tion, reference being had to the accompanybreadth, orlength of the seal. As illustrated, ing drawings, forming a part thereof. the tape is in Width double the length of the 1o In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan. Fig. seal and is divided midway as it emerges by 6o 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a section at a fine wire stretched across the mouth of the 3 3 on Fig. l. Fig. 4 is asection of the frame die. The tape is received upon the endless stripped of mechanism at the plane of the conVeyer-belt E, which is suitably driven line 4 41.- on Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section at 5 5 around pulleys E and E2, passing under- 15 on Fig. l. Fig. G is a front elevation of deneath the cylinder C, and by said belt is car- 65 tails of the imprinting and inking devices. ried underneath the marking and imprinting Fig. 7 is a section at 7 '7 on Fig. 2. Fig. S is mechanism, herinafter described, and thence a detail rear elevation of the seal receiving on underneathacutteI-,which divides it transand removing devices. versely, completing two seals at each stroke,

o This invention is a machine designed to that being the number comprised in the Width 7o make small clay seals for use in seal-locksof the tape, and finally at the delivery of said that is, locks which are arranged so that they endless belt said divided seals are by delivcannot be opened without first breaking a ering mechanism, hereinafter described, arfrangible seal retained in upon them. These ranged in piles on a tablet or tray T, which 2 5 Vseals are most commonly of rectangular form, is carried by an endless chain V, driven 75 and conveniently are about one by one-eighth around suitable sprocket-Wheels V V at a of an inch thick and supercially one inch by speed which bears such ratio to the speed of one and one-half inch in dimension. It is the endless belt E as the space occupied by necessary that they should bear permanently the seals edgewise and slightly leaning as 3o marked upon them identifying characters. they stand on the tablet bears to the width of 8o "he machine is therefore constructed comthe seal. prising mechanism for reducing the clay to The foregoing outline description indicates a uniform plastic condition by stirring mechthe general processes through which the clay anism for forming it into a strip, mechanism is passed from the initial to the final stage.

35 for marking it with identifying characters, The mechanism will now be described in 85 and mechanism for dividing the strip into detail. A frame M supports the cylinder A, pieces constituting the several seals. supporting-brackets M M2 serving to con- In the drawings, A is an inclined cylinder, neet the cylinder andthe frame. This cylininto which the tempered clay is put and suitder is of heavy boiler-iron and sufficiently 4o ably moistened to admit of its being stirred rigid when thus supported by the brackets M 9o by the mechanism provided within the cyland M2 to afford sufficiently rigid support for inder. This mechanism consists of a stirrer, the bearings of certain of the shafts, hereinwhich comprises the shaft B, suitably jourafter described, as obtaining support thereon. naled with respect to the cylinder and hav- Nis the main driving-shaft. It contains one 45 ing helically-arranged stirring-arms B. The bearing at N upon theframeMand another 95 clay is delivered from the lower end of this bearing in the bracket N2, which contains inclined cylinder into a smaller cylinder C, other shaft-bearings, hereinafter described. with which the ,cylinder A communicates at Said shaft N may have a third bearing` in an the side, and from this smaller cylinder C it independent bracket N8, which is designed to 5o is forced by a piston, hereinafter described, be mounted upon the same floor or wall which Ico supports the frame A, and therefore rigid with said frame. At the forward end of the shaft N, immediately adjacent to its bearing in the bracket N2, there is made fast to it the beveled pinion N '1, which meshes with and drives the beveled gear N5, which is fast on the shaft a5, which has a bearing at N21 in the bracket N2. This shaft a5 is parallel to the axis of the cylinder A, and at the upper end is journaled in the bracket A', which is secured to the cylinder A upon the under side thereof at that upper end. Above the bracket A there is made fast to the shaft a5 the pinion N511, which meshes with and drives the gear-wheel B2, which is made fast to the upper end of the shaft B, said shaft having a bearingin the journal-box A2, which is mounted upon the upper end of the cylinder A, and another bearing in the bracket A3, which is secured inside the cylinder A. The framepost M3, secured to the frame M and bent at a right angle at fthe point m5, and having a horizont-al portion extending from said angle and secured upon the upper side of the cylinder A, has mounted upon it the bracket M33, which has the journal-boxes for certain of the driving shafts and wheels, and additionally supports and braces the cylinder A. The cylinder A terminates at the lower part in a conical portion a., to which there is secured the upright cylinder C, which will be hereinafter referred to as the die-cylinder by reason of the fact that at its lower end and exit the seal-forming die is located.

To the conical portion c, of the cylinder A a connection is made into the side of the diecylinder C, so'that the contents of the former cylinder may be forced into the latter, in which a screw-shaped piston revolves, said piston consisting of two flanges pp from a central shaft twisted about the axis of said shaft, their edges coinciding with the inner Wall of the cylinder, so that as the shaft revolves any plastic substance containedin the cylinder is fed downward and forced out at the bottom of it bythe spiral or screw-shaped flanges of the piston. Power is communicated to this piston through its shaft P2 by the following train of mechanism, commencing with the main driving-shaft N, on which is made fast the pulley N5, over which the twisted belt a5 is driven, communicating power to the pulley N7 on the shaft n1', which has one bearing in the bracket N5, in which the shaft N also has its third bearing, and has another bearing at nl in the bracket lv 15. To said shaft nl, near the bracket M5, there is made fast the beveled pinion N70, which meshes with and drives the beveled gear N5, which is made fast on the vertical shaft l)2 of the screw-piston p p.

D is the die which forms the mouth-piece of the die-cylinder C, being preferably made detachable therefrom, the lower end or base of said cylinder having the dovetailed groove C', and the die being dovetailed in shape to lit said groove, so that it may be tightly held therein and secured against displacement, except when intentionally withdrawn horizontally. The opening D' in said die is, as described, of rectangular shape, corresponding to the cross-section of the seal to be produced.

Vhen power is applied over the pulley n to drive the shaft N and the remainder of the train which receives motion from said shaft, the stirring-arms B on the shaft B, operating in the cylinder A, thoroughly mix and at the same time feed downward the clay therein and force it out at the opening c', which leads into the cylinder C, where it is subjected to the positive downward feeding action of the piston p p', revolving in said cylinder, whereby it is forced out through the aperture in the die D in the form of a tape, which lodges on the conveyer-belt E.

I will now describe the mechanism by which the necessary motion is communicated to the belt E. Fast on the shaftN is a conical roller or very broad pulley M10, and loose on the shaft nl is a similar pulley M1, tapering in the opposite direction, the taperof the two pulleys being equal and comparatively slight. A belt M30 passes over these pulleys and communicates power from M111 to M4. Rigid with the pulley M1, at the forward end, is the small pulley M10, and the belt m10, passing over this pulley Mt10 and over the large pulley M5, communicates power to the latter, which is fast on the shaft m5, journaled on the brackets M1T and M7, which are secured upon the frame M. These brackets constitute the frame for the marking-press-that is, the

press by which the seals are imprinted with whatever characters they are intended to bear. On the shaft m5 between the two brackets M17 and M7, Figs. l and 5, there is made fast the eccentric collar or cam F, and pivoted at a point below the shaft on the brackets M17 and M7 is the lever F', which has toward the upper end the linger or stud f', projecting across the plane of the eccentric F, so as to be engaged by the edge of said eccentric as it revolves, whereby the lever is actuated away from the shaft. A spring F2, secured to the lever below its pivot and to the frame-post M17, tends to resist and reverse the movement communicated by the eccentric cam F to said lever. To the upper end of the lever there is connected the link F4, which extends downward in a slanting direction toward the right-hand or initial end of the machine and is connected to the leverarm O', which is pivoted on the shafto of the pulley E', which is the driving-'pulley of the feed-belt E. Rigid with said pulley E there is the notched wheel Q', and pivoted on the lever-arm O is the dog or pawl Q2, provided with the spring q2, tending to throw the dog into engagement with the notched wheel Q.

It will be understood that the reciprocation of the link F1 in one direction engages the pawl with the notched Wheel and rotates the wheel E', and in the other direction wth- IOO IIO

draws the pawl from such engagement and permits it to engage with the next tooth of the wheel Q in the familiar manner of a pawl-feeding mechanism. The pawl is so arranged with reference to the wheel Q that the feeding movement is the pushing movement of the rod F4, that being the positive movement communicated to it by the cam F, and the counter movement which said rod receives from the spring F2 withdraws the pawl from its engagement to permit it to re-engage with the next tooth. It will thus be seen that the belt E is fed by intermittent impulses, standing at rest at intervals between those impulses. The clay tape, which is delivered continuously from the die D, will drop back while the conveyer-belt is halting, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and this .is facilitated by the conveyor-belt sloping downward a little back from the point where the tape is received. The upper ply of the belt E passes over the fixed bed or support R,

which is a portion of or rigid with the frame M underneath the shaft m5 and extending for some little distance bot-h ways from that point, and it may extend underneath the entire upper ply of the belt between the driving and the carrying pulleys. It must extend underneath the belt at all positions where the seal-forming tape thereon is exposed to the action of the imprinting or cutting devices, in order to afford an unyielding support for the seal when it is being thus operated upon. The forward end of the shaft m5 has a crank-wheel m50, carrying the crank-pin or wrist-pin m51, which by means of the link M51 operates the reciprocating head M52, which is guided in parallel vertical ways on the bracket M2, the construction being the usual and familiar one of a power-press, and which need not be further explained in detail. At the lower end of the reciprocating head M52 there are secured whatever dies or other devices are employed to imprint upon the seal the desired marks.

I will now describe the mechanism for inking the stamping devices and for subdividin g the clay tape into individual seals. The crank-pin m51, by which the reciprocating head y M52 is actuated, projects forward through the link M51, and on its projecting end is provided with an anti-friction roll m51. To the edge of the reciprocating head M52, I fasten the small bracket m52, upon the upper edge of which is fulcrumed the lever M, one arm of which extends upward from the fulcrum and in the plane of rotation ot' the projecting end of the crank m50 in posit-ion to be actuated by the roll m51 as the crank revolves. The lower arm M00 of the lever M0 extends down in frontof the reciprocating head M52.

'Upon the lower part of the reciprocating head M52 thereis journaled a rockshaftMB,whichhas an arm M20, extending upward and provided with a stud m20, which engages in a slot m00 in the arm M00 of the lever M0. The rock-shaft Ms has another arnrMSi extending downward to the left, and at the lower' end of this arm there is pivoted the swinging ink-roller frame M0, in the lower end of which the ink-roller M10 is journaled. The frame M0has extending above its fulcrum an arm M00, which overhangs the arm M81 of the rock-shaft M2, and a spring M01 is provided, secured upon the arm M81 and reacting against the end of the arm M00 of the ink-roller frame and tending to lift the lower end of the ink-roller frame and the inkroller journaled therein for the purpose of holding it up against the face of the stamp in the inking process, hereinafter described. Upon the bracket I, secured tothe main frame of thel machine and extending up at the rear of the carrying-belt and thence forward overhanging the' same there is journaled the spreading-plate or ink-tablet I', which is provided on its lower side with a ratchet-ange I2, which by means of suitable connections may be made use of to rotate the spreadingplate for the purpose of spreading the ink in the usual manner of such devices in printingpresses. The operation of this mechanism is as follows: When the shaft m5, revolving in the direction of the arrow-head on Fig. 6, causes the crank-pinm51 to actuate the reciprocating head M52 downwardly, the roll on the projecting end of said crank-'arm engaging the lever M0. forces its ripper arm away from the shaft, swinging its lower arm M00 in the opposite direction, and causing it by means of the engagement of its slot m00 with the stud m80 on the lever-arm M20 of the rockshaft Ms to rock said shaft in a direction which will carry the lower end ofthe arm MB1 away from the reciprocating head M52, thereby carrying also the ink-roller over toward the left and out of the way of the descending stamp on the reciprocating head and bringing the ink-roller into a position overhanging the spreading-plate I. This position is shown in Fig. 6, and is reached before the crank m50 has reached its extreme position to the left,

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at which time the descent of the head has also been sufficient to bring the ink-roller into contact with the spreading-plate I, and as the head continues to descend, the roller being unable to descend by reason of the obstruction oered by the spreading-plate, the `descent of the rock-shaft MB with the reciprocating head causesl the roller to be pushed to the left over the spreading-plate, whereby it is suitably inked. As the revolution of the shaft m5 continues, the crank 'm50 having passed the lowest position, the head rises from that position,and the lever M0, being free from actuation of the crank, yields to the action of the spring J, which is secured to the reciprocating head M52, and which tends to force and hold the upper arm of the lever M0 over toward the right, contrary to the direction in which it is actuated by the roll on the crank m50. Such action of the springwi-ll be left and begins to withdraw from the lever MG; but as the reciprocating head M52 rises the inking-roll, returning to the right across the plate I', will be free of that plate before the crankpin m51 reaches its highest position, and the spring J will thereupon force the upper arm of the lever M6 over toward the rightuntil it contacts the roll on the end of the crank m50, and in that motion will cause the inking-ro1l to pass entirely under the stamp and to roll across the face of the imprinting devices thereon,- and as the crank continues to revolve on upward toward the left the leverM, being forced back to theV left, will cause the inkroll to ybe rolled back to the left again across the face of the stamp, both said movements of the imprinting devices across the stamp occurring while the crank-wrist is passing over` the center, so that whatever slight change of position of the face of the stamp may occur during those movements of the roll will be compensated by the spring M21 holding the roll up against the face of the stamp', as hereinabove stated.

In lugs LL, which are secured to the frame, one on each side of the conveyer, and which project upward past the edges of the belt, there is journaled at their upper ends the rock-shaft L', having the arm L2 projecting to the right and provided at its end with a knife L3, said arm and knife overhanging, as it will be observed, the conveyer-belt and the clay tape thereon. A spring L4 is secured to one of the' brackets L and to the lever-arm L2, with a tendency7 to hold said arm up and keep the knife L2 off of the clay tape. To the reciprocating head M52 there is secu red an arm L5, extending otf to the lett and downward and at the left overhanging the lever L2. This arm is somewhat elastic, but suiliciently stiif for the purpose for which it is designed, as follows: Vhen the reciprocating head M52 descends, just before it reaches its lowest position the end Z5 of the lever-arn1 L5 comes into Contact with the lever-arm L2 and forces downward said arm and the knife L3 thereon, so that while the stamp is imprinting the seal designed upon the clay tape the knife L3 is dividing the tape at a point some distance beyond that at which the imprint is being made, the distance being calculated so that the division will fall between consecutive imprints, thus dividing the tape into individual seals, cutting off one seal at the end where another is being imprinted some distance back. The clay tape being of the Width of two seals, and the knife L3 being of the width of the tape, and the imprinting-stamp being in like manner doublethat is, containing duplicate designs side by side across the width of the tape-each action of the mechanism imprints two seals and severs two seals from the tape. The seals thus severed lie on the conveyer, and are carried thereby to the delivery end, where they fall oft' edgewise as the belt passes around the idle-roller q, and are received edgewise on the tablet or tray T, which is carried by the chains V, which are driven around the sprocket-Wheels V' V', suitably journaled upon an annex to the frame M, which, as illustrated, consists of an i independently-supported frame W, the height of which is such that the upper surface of the tablet T is below the lower surface of the lower ply of the belt E a distance at least as great as the length of the seals--that is to say, as great as the distance which the conveyerbelt travels between the impulses of the knife-and the driving sprocket-wheels V V v are located a sufficient distance back from the delivery end of the conveyer-belt E so that the end of the tablet T may be rested upon the chains a sufiicient distance to cause them to grasp the same and feedit onward while apreceding tablet is still underneath the delivery end of the conveyer-belu and in position ,therefore, to receive the seals dropped therefrom. A shelf W' may conveniently be provided, located still farther back to the right than the sprocket-wheels V' V', which will afford further support for the tablet 'l when first placed in position, with one end only rest-ing on the chains, as described. It will be obseryed ing-belt standing on edge, having been carried on the belt lying fiat, and that therefore the tabletwhich receives them on the chains V V should be advanced an amount corresponding to their thickness only, while the conveyer is advanced an amount corresponding to the dimension of their faces, which extend longitudinally with respect to the belt. Feeding-motion is imparted to the chains V by the following mechanism: On the shaft u of the driving-wheel V' V' at the rear end there is secured the ratchet-wheel V2, and to the lever F', which actuates the feeding mechanism of the conveyeivbelt, there is connected the push-rod or' link V2, the other end of which is connected to the lever V4, pivoted on the shaft fu, and having pivoted to it the spring-actuated pawl V5, which engages the ratchet-wheel V2 and actuates it when the the lever F' is actuated outward (that is, away from the shaft m5) by the cam F. The size of the sprocket-wheel V and the number of the teeth on the ratchet-wheel V2 and the stroke of the lever V3 are calculated to give the chains V, and thereby the tray T, at each impulse communicated.A by the cam F the advancing movement required-that is, corresponding in amount to the thickness of the seals which are being delivered onto the tablet or tray T, this being not necessarily a distance exactly equal to the thickness of the seals, but equal to the distance occupied by each seal in the direction of the length of the tablet, (that is, in the direction of its movement when the seals are piled thereon, as illustrated, not perfectly vertical, but slightly leaning, as they will necessarily be.)

The condition ot' the clay in the stirringthat the seals are delivered from the carry- IOO IIO

cylinder A as to moisture and other circumstances will affect the rate at which the tape is formed by a given speed of the tape-forming mechanism-that is, although the clay is forced out positively by the screw-piston P2 the length of tape formed by a given motion of the piston may vary according to thecondition of theclay, being more or less susceptible of compression in the process of forcing it out. In order that the conveyer-belt may at all times have a speed corresponding perfectly to the rate at which the tape is formed and delivered onto it, so that it will neither tend to stretch the tape by drawing it out too fast or to kink it by retarding it, the pulleys M10 and M4 are provided, as described, oppositely tapering, so that the belt M30, which communicates power from the former to the latter of said pulleys, being adjusted to different positions on said pulleys, may vary the speed of the driven pulley, and thereby of all the mechanism in the train which it operates, which includes the conveyer-belt and all the imprinting, cutting, and delivering devices.

X is an idle-roller, covered with felt or other soft substance, journaled on the leverarm X', pivoted to the frame. rlhis roller overhangs the tape as it is carried on the conveyer-belt, and it is intended to smooth out any irregularities therein as it lies on the belt before it enters under the imprinting devices.

I claiml.' In a seal-making machine, in combination with the vertical cylinder C, the inclined cylinder A, discharging laterally into the cylinder C, and the spirally-tlanged piston revolving in the latter cylinder to feed the laterally-supplied clay positively out in the direction of the axis of the piston,substantially as set forth.

2. In a seal-making machine, in combination with mechanism which forms the clay into tape and discharges the same downward, a conveyer-belt traveling horizontally underneath the discharge of the tape and receiving the same, a fixed bed projecting under and supporting the upper ply of the conveyerbelt, a seal-imprinting die overhanging such belt above the fixed bed, and mechanism which reciprocates it toward and from the same to cause it to imprint the clay tape carried on the belt, substantially as set forth.

3. In a seal-making machine, in combination With mechanism which forms the clay into strips or tape, a conveyer-belt which travels horizontally under the tape-discharge and receives the tape, a seal-imprinting die reciprocating toward and from the tape-carrying ply of the belt to imprint the clay tape thereon,the driving-shaft of the conveyer-belt, and mechanism actuated by the driving-shaft of the die-operating mechanism to actuate said conveyer-belt driving-shaft in the intervals between the imprinting action of the die, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with mechanism which forms the clay into a tape, a conveyer-belt whichl travels horizontally under the tapedischarge and receives the tape, a seal-imprinting die and mechanism which reciprocates it toward and from the conveyer-belt to cause it to imprint the tape thereon, the pawland-ratchet mechanism actuating the driving-shaft of the conveyor-belt, and a rod connected thereto and actuated by the drivingshaft of the die-operating mechanism, substantially as set forth.

5. In a seal-making machine, in combination with the belt which conveys the clay tape and the stamp-carrying head reciprocating vertically above the belt, the seal-severing knife-arm mounted on the frame, and an arm actuated by the stamp-carryinghead and actuating the knife-arm by the descent of the head, substantially as set forth. G. In a seal-making machine, in combination with the endless traveling belt which conveys the clay tape lying iiatwise thereon, the severing-knife mounted above the tapeconveyer belt, the reciprocating head which actuates the knife at each reciprocation, and the seal-receiving conveyer located at the delivery end of the tape-conveyer and having its seal-carrying surface lower than the level of the tape-conveyer carrying-surface a distance as great as the travel of the seal-conveyer between consecutive impulses of the knife, whereby the seals severed by the knife may alight edgewise on the seal-'receiving conveyer, substantially as set forth.

7. In a seal-making machine, in combination with the endless traveling belt which conveys the clay tape and the reciprocating head and seal-imprinting stamp thereon operating above the belt, an inking-roller and suitable operating devices to cause it to pass over Vthe face of the stamp, and the inking-tablet mounted upon the frame and overhanging the `traveling belt beyond the imprintingstamp, substantially as set forth.

8. Inzoombination with the shaft m5, having the crank which operates the imprintingstamp, the cam F, fixed on said shaft, and the conveyer-feed mechanism actuated thereby, the feed-actuating` prominence of said cam being located with respect to the stamping-actuated crank so that it actuates the conveyer While the imprinting-stamp is rising, substantially as set forth.

9. In combination with the shaft m5, the lever F', the links F4 andV3, connected thereto, the conveyer-feed mechanism, and the trayfeeding mechanism actuated by said links,

respectively, substantially as set forth.

CHRISTIAN C. HILL.

Attest H. H. MADDocK, CHAs. S. BURTON.

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